The PH Balancing Act

Life is all about balance, right? When it comes to our skin, we need to apply the same mantra. Maintaining a healthy pH balance is super important for your complexion, as all sorts of skin issues arise when our pH balance isn’t right. Unfortunately, ifyou don’t understand how to regulate the pH level of your skin, the products you use could be doing more harm than good! Let’s unravel what the pH level is, why it’s important and how to get yourself a balanced, happy complexion.

What is pH balance and why it’s important

The pH (potential hydrogen) level indicates how acidic or alkaline your skin is. pH levels scale from 1 through to 14; 1 is the most acidic and 14 isthe most alkaline.

Everyone’s skin is different but achieving the right pH level for your skin is important as it determines how well your skin can fight infection and strengthens the effectiveness of your skin's acid mantle. Ideally our skin should sit between 4.5 - 6.

The acid mantle

The acid mantle is formed when amino acids and lactic acids mix with the fatty acids produced by the sebaceous glands. When your skin's acidic pH levels are in balance, the acidic mantle is wonderful at keeping bacteria and other contaminants off the skin.

However, if you haven’t achieved the right pH balance, the acid mantle is compromised and the skin's ability to protect itself is disturbed.

How your pH level gets out of balance

If you feel like you can identify with either overly dry skin or skin that gets irritated and red easily, it’s likely your pH levels are out of whack. Lifestyle and environmental factors can send our pH level a little crazyand ageing in general means the acidic mantle isn’t as effective in preventing bacteria and infections. Diet & Lifestyle can contribute to less than ideal pH levels (the occasional friday night bender...guilty!) but so too can the products we use on our skin.

Let’s take a look at how overly alkaline or acidic products can cause distress for your skin.

Overly alkaline cleansers

Many cleansers contain an ingredient that cause them to foam up; sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). In recent years, there has been a shift away from using SLS in face cleansers, the reason being, SLS is super alkaline, rating at a whopping level 10 on the pH scale.

Cleansing with such an alkaline product is a recipe for pH level disaster as it strips away natural oils. While a ‘foamy’ cleanser may feel nice, it’s actually causing skin to dry out and become extremely irritated.

Products that are too alkaline wipe out acid. Not good, as we need a certain level of acidity to stop bacterial growth on the skin. To support the strength of the acid mantle, it’s important to choose a milder cleanser with a pH level closer to 5.

Our Cleanser is the opposite to harsh SLS cleansers. It’s nourishing oils dissolve easily with water, yet do not strip your skin of its natural oils. Our Skin Tonic also works to clarify and replenish, restoring the skin's natural pH without over-drying.

Acidic products

On the other hand, overly acidic products can also cause issues. Skin is weakened when products containingingredients like retinoic acid, beta hydroxy acids, alpha hydroxy acids and amino fruit acids are used too often.

These types of ingredients are common to face peels and masks and your skin will tell you if the product is too strong by becoming sensitive or breaking out.

How to balance your PH levels by breaking the cycle of acidic / alkaline

We’ve seen that some skin care products are responsible for sending your skin’s pH levels into distress, but worse, we can actually perpetuate this cycle by trying to correct the results of one product with another.

If your skin has become too alkaline, shouldn’t be using products with high acidity to correct the issue and vice versa.

The best way to regulate your skin and nurture it to the optimum pH level is to select skin care products with balanced pH. We’ve crafted our beautiful skincare range with a careful pH balance to protect your skin's delicate acid mantle, taking the stress out of choosing the right products to keep your pH levels healthy!